A Short Discussion on the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Landscape Architects:

Code of Ethics

The Purpose: The level of professional conduct expected. The level of professional conduct depends upon integrity of each individual member to conduct him or herself in a responsible manner in dealings with clients and other professionals.

Code of Ethics refer to ethical code, that includes Conducts, Practices, and Professional Responsibilities

Code = Written Guidelines adopted by an organization in an attempt to assist those in the organization called upon to make a decision understand the difference between ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and to apply this understanding to their decision.

A code of conduct is adopted by a profession to regulate that profession

Fleckenstein, M.P. & Huebach, P (1999)

“Code of ethics is to maintain harmony among professional and to settle dispute among them”

(a) Engineer means “Registered Engineer” (in private practice). In private practice, according to Registration of Engineers Act 1967, the engineer must be construed as “registered engineer” – section 2 of the Act (either as a Consulting Engineer – Regulation 34, Registration of Engineers Regulations 1990, or as a Professional Engineer – Regulation 19, Registration of Engineers Regulations 1990). According to section 7(1) of Registration of Engineers Act 1967,

7. (1) No person shall unless he is a registered Professional Engineer –

a)Practise, carry on business or take up employment as an Engineer under any name, style or title bearing the words “Professional Engineer”, “Registered Engineer” or the equivalent thereto in any other language or bearing any other word whatsoever in any language which may reasonably be construed to imply that he is a registered Professional Engineer;

b)Use or display any sign, board, card or other device representing or implying that he is a registered Professional Engineer; or

c)Be entitled to recover in any court any fee, charge or remuneration for any professional advice or services rendered as an Engineer.

Unregistered engineer offers or giving professional service will be facing the following consequences--

a) Under section 25 of Registration of Engineers Act 1967:

25. (1)Any person who contravenes this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall, where no penalty is expressly provided therefore, be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two thousand ringgits.

(2)If a body corporate contravenes this Act, every director, manager, secretary or other similar officer thereof shall be guilty of the same offence and be liable to the same penalty as the body corporate is guilty of and liable to, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge, consent or connivance or was not attributable to any neglect on his part.

b) Raymond Banham’s principles:

Raymond Banham & Anor v Consolidated Hotels Ltd. The plaintiffs, a firm of consulting Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, practising in Hong Kong, sued the defendant clients for professional fees of $106,250 in connection with the proposed Hotel Sheraton project in Singapore.The defendants refused to pay on the ground that the agreement for services was illegal and unenforceable because the plaintiffs were not registered in Singapore as professional engineers. Winslow J held that although the plans for the hotel were prepared in Hong Kong and the firm’s representatives travelled periodically to Singapore solely for the purposes of this project, nevertheless, they were engaged in professional engineering work in Singapore for the purposes of the Professional Engineers Act.As such they were required to be registered as professional engineers.‘Services were being performed under this contract which was illegal in that their engineers never took steps to get them registered beforehand nor to engage in such services under the direction or supervision of a registered professional engineer.’

NOTE: The above is part of lecture notes prepared by me, for EUP222: Engineer in Society, Sch. of Civil Engineering, USM.

Migraine headache

Symptoms of a migraine attack may include heightened sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, auras (loss of vision in one eye or tunnel vision), difficulty of speech and intense pain predominating on one side of the head.

Symptoms

Vision disturbances, or aura, are considered a "warning sign" that a migraine is coming. The aura occurs in both eyes and may involve any or all of the following:

·A temporary blind spot

·Blurred vision

·Eye pain

·Seeing stars or zigzag lines

·Tunnel vision

Other symptoms that may occur with the headache include:

·Chills

·Increased urination

·Fatigue

·Loss of appetite

·Nausea and vomiting

·Numbness, tingling, or weakness

·Problems concentrating, trouble finding words

·Sensitivity to light or sound

·Sweating

Symptoms may linger even after the migraine has gone away. Patients with migraine sometimes call this a migraine "hangover." Symptoms can include:

·Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp

·Increased need for sleep

·Neck pain

Treatment

There is no specific cure for migraine headaches. The goal is to prevent symptoms by avoiding or changing your triggers.

A good way to identify triggers is to keep a headache diary. Write down:

·When your headaches occur

·How severe they are

·What you've eaten

·How much sleep you had

·Other symptoms

·Other possible factors (women should note where they are in their menstrual cycle)

For example, the diary may reveal that your headaches tend to occur more often on days when you wake up earlier than usual. Changing your sleep schedule may result in fewer migraine attacks.

When you do get migraine symptoms, try to treat them right away. The headache may be less severe. When migraine symptoms begin:

·Drink water to avoid dehydration, especially if you have vomited

·Rest in a quiet, darkened room

·Place a cool cloth on your head

Many different medications are available for people with migraines. Medicines are used to:

·Reduce the number of attacks

·Stop the migraine once early symptoms occur

·Treat the pain and other symptoms

REDUCING ATTACKS

If you have frequent migraines, your doctor may prescribe medicine to reduce the number of attacks. Such medicine needs to be taken every day in order to be effective. Such medications may include:

Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections may also help reduce migraine attacks.

TREATING SYMPTOMS

Other medications are primarily given to treat the symptoms of migraine. Used alone or in combinations, these drugs can reduce your pain, nausea, or emotional distress. Medications in this group include:

If you wish to consider an alternative, feverfew is a popular herb for migraines. Several studies, but not all, support using feverfew for treating migraines. If you are interested in trying feverfew, make sure your doctor approves. Also, know that herbal remedies sold in drugstores and health food stores are not regulated. Work with a trained herbalist when selecting herbs.

Prevention

Understanding your headache triggers can help you avoid foods and situations that cause your migraines. Keep a headache diary to help identify the source or trigger of your symptoms. Then modify your environment or habits to avoid future headaches.

Other tips for preventing migraines include:

·Avoid smoking

·Avoid alcohol

·Avoid artificial sweeteners and other known food-related triggers

·Get regular exercise

·Get plenty of sleep each night

·Learn to relax and reduce stress -- some patients have found that biofeedback and self-hypnosis helps reduce the number of migraine attacks